the power of nerding out, pt. 1

I am a strong proponent for getting really nerdy about things.

If nerding out means investment and fascination with something, attention and effort spent on that thing, learning and doing it more and more, catching yourself drawn to and thinking about it constantly, and all the excited, lit-up feelings that pair with it… I cannot recommend it enough.

Last summer, I got really nerdy about hummingbirds. I fell in love with them. I was mind-blown by them. I bought a couple feeders and devotedly tended to them, making fresh food and refilling them, and watching all the visitors they brought. I could not believe how tiny and delicate a hummingbird’s feet and bill are. I couldn’t get over their fast, darting movements, their vibrations, their little sounds and antics. I loved how the sun landed on their feathers. I just absolutely loved watching them. I tried a couple times to get one to land on my hand with a hand-held feeder. I felt exhilaration as they zoomed by my face. I watched them in the mornings and at sunset, I set dates with my husband to get our weekend bagels and sit on the porch to watch the birdies with our breakfast, I tried my hand at photographing them (not great 😆 but I will put a photo here of the moment I managed to capture seven in the frame at once!). By the peak of hummingbird migration season, it was becoming common to count around a dozen hummers in my yard at one time. I read books while I sat still to watch them, I played a video game on my computer outside until it got too dark for the birdies, I played guitar for them (or for myself, near them, haha), and I spent a lot of time just sitting and standing still observing them. I loved finding pictures and watching astonishing videos of brightly colored hummers online. I also loved the knowledge that I serendipitously shared this love with my grandma, who has tons of feeders in her yard, gets almost twenty hummingbirds visiting at once, and adores sitting to watch them.

Likely needless to say, this obsession brought a lot of joy to my summer. I had so much fun being enveloped in my new interest and the fascinating world of Being a Hummingbird.

This level of interest can bring a heightened sense of awe, wonder, and awareness to our lives. It’s also a great opportunity for learning and perpetuating that wonder through amazement at what you learn.

This is the first of a 3 Part series. Read the power of nerding out, pt. 2 and pt. 3 here.